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64 HASKINS & SELLS June
IF the average business executive had to
prepare personally the income and
profits tax returns for his organization
he would realize better why the period
just prior to March fifteen each year is
illuminated with such a hectic glow. It
is a time when every one is cross and ill-natured
and ready to explode at the slight­est
provocation. It brings out the bad side
of otherwise good tempers, makes enemies,
and courts apoplexy. The victims do not
recover sometimes for months. The effect
upon the personnel engaged in this Work
is bad.
The situation affects bookkeepers,
auditors, comptrollers, financial officers
generally, public accountants, internal
revenue officers, lawyers, and representa­tives
of banks and trust companies which
offer to assist depositors. It arises because
so many persons, either real or corporate,
try to do the same thing at the same time.
Inevitably some one must wait. The prob­abilities
are that that some one, figuratively
speaking, is injured in the struggle.
The preparation of a tax return is, as
a rule, not a thing to be treated lightly.
The work involved in and underlying its
preparation is highly technical. It is com­plicated,
requires careful thought and
intensive concentration. The person who
prepares a return must perforce carry the
many aspects and ramifications of the sub­ject
in his mind at the same time. Haste
not only contributes to mistakes but inter­feres
many times with taking some advan­tage
to which the respondent is entitled.
If statistics were available they probably
would show that large sums have been lost
to the taxpayer because of lack of time in
which to consider adequately the full pro­visions
of the law, regulations and decisions
in their bearing on his case.
The year which ends December thirty-
The Crowded Hour